Fatal Error
by Therrin-Ninja
Summary: While she was dragging Kyon to the clubroom Haruhi accidentally gets knocked out. But this simple human condition may have more serious effects. Kyon, pressured into cooperating, accidentally gets pulled into a much larger problem. Since when is that new?
1. Fatal Error

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Otherwise there'd be three seasons out, and many, many more manga, I promise you.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Fatal Error

-o-

Chapter 1

-o-o-o-o-o-

Well, today started like every other high school day I care to think of. I was sitting in class, as usual, when the bell rang.

Nothing unusual about that.

I stood up, and lifted my bag off of the hook on the side of my desk, and was just about to swing it over my shoulder when something seized me from behind. Though this startled me, it, too, isn't that usual. Obviously, Haruhi had decided that I was taking too much time in getting to the clubroom so I could fulfil her whimsical orders.

What WASN'T usual was the way my foot caught on the leg of the desk, and I spun, crashing to the floor, Haruhi pinned beneath me. I wasn't particularly hurt, so I sat up as soon as possible, groaning.

It was then that I noticed that Haruhi wasn't moving. Well, that's never good.

In the background, I think I heard Taniguchi making some lame crack about Suzumiya and myself, but I personally had more important things to worry about.

Standing up, I lifted Haruhi, and declared I was going to the Nurse.

I was not totally surprised to be met by Yuki, Itsuki, and Mikuru.

I carried Haruhi's limp body over to a bed, and placed it on top of the bedding. "Well?"

"Well," Itsuki grinned vaguely, "It appears that Miss. Suzumiya is unconscious."

"Is that so?" I asked in as fridged a voice I could muster.

"Haruhi's data has become unstable, and is fragmenting at a rate that could become catastrophic. If this is allowed to continue, there will be a complete halt of data on Earth, and there will not be an opportunity to resurrect any lost files."

So says the almost uninterpretable Miss. Nagato.

I sighed. "So the world might end. Again."

"That is right."

Great.

The wonderful Mikuru seemed to be flustered. As usual as that might be, I'll never get tired of it.

"Ah-um, M-maybe we should wake Haruhi up?"

Itsuki grinned faintly. "That, I feel, would end disastrously. You see, I do believe that she is, to put it in computer terms, suffering from a frozen screen. If we were to try to wake her, she would probably go into shock, and what would result in a very, er, disorganized mess. My guess would be that she might decide to eliminate the entire world and then some by accident, and possibly even herself."

He's starting to sound as though she's about to take an eraser and rub everything off a page.

"Indeed. Forcibly causing her to wake would cause a meltdown, and would obliterate half of the galaxy's data, causing a slippage of data, and would cause a total shutdown, even of the Integrated Data Entities themselves."

So speaks Nagato.

"Then, what am I supposed to do?" why does it always sound as though I'm taking orders from these three?

Oh, that's right. Because I am.

"Well, I would say the wisest option would be to try the same technique that you did when she was about to re-create the world." I could swear Itsuki has a talent for smirking without actually showing it. "This is, after all, a similar situation, and therefore this is probably the best idea."

"I agree. With the data that I have collected, I have calculated all actions, and repeating similar modes of operation is the wisest option that is available to us."

"Ahh, could someone please tell me what's going on? I really don't know what you're telling Kyon to do!"

Ah, poor, sweet, caring Mikuru. At least she isn't ordering me to do something.

"Simply to reboot Haruhi's operating system to a normal level of production through physical contact."

Way to dodge the question, Yuki.

"Ah, what?"

I groaned. "They want me to kiss her." I didn't look at her as I said this. I can't decide whether this was because I would have felt disappointed if she didn't react, or disgusted with myself if she did.

"Well, I guess you should do that." I glanced at Mikuru. She had her eyes hidden behind her bangs, and she seemed to have mumbled the sentence. She must have noticed my stare, because she looked up, and smiled. "If she does that, she'll destroy the future, too."

What? Was that sadness? Was she sad that I was supposed to kiss Haruhi?

Or was I just getting my hopes up?

"A-all right, then," I shoved my hands in my pockets, and walked over to Haruhi. She was lying there, almost as if she were asleep. Could she really cause that much trouble just from getting a concussion? Isn't that a little extreme? And why did I have to do the deed of kissing her?

What is my purpose in all of this?

I stood over her, gazing down, pondering all of this. Then I thought 'to Hell with this!' and leaned down to kiss her.

But I never got the chance. Haruhi's eyes snapped open, and her hand shot to my throat. Her eyes were not normal. They were glazed, and blurred. As though she was staring into space. I don't even think she knew what she was doing. Before I could even register what was really happening, her hand had tightened. I couldn't breath. Gagging slightly, my eyes opened wide, as though there was some way to breath by doing that.

Out of my peripheral vision, I remember seeing Mikuru and Itsuki start in shock. I'm pretty sure Nagato blinked. Then my vision blurred, and I blacked out.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ye gods, I love this series!

Yes, I'm writing a The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya fanfic! This idea has been bugging me for a few days now. I've been going to sleep thinking about this.

This is a rather different style than I usually write in, but Kyon is totally my favourite character, and I relate with him totally.

So why did I just try to kill him?

For the plot, Silly!


	2. File Can Not be Found

-o-

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Otherwise there'd be three seasons out, and many, many more manga, I promise you.

-o-

SPOILER ALERT!! REFERENCES TO THE FIRST TWO MANGA VOLUMES.

-o-o-o-o-o-

File Can Not be Found

-o-

Chapter 2

-o-o-o-o-o-

I had no idea where I was.

It reminded me of that other closed space, the one I'd woken up to Haruhi's screams in. But I had no idea where I was.

It looked like the back yard of a house. Dusk seemed to be approaching, because the sky was giving off a very red-orange light. My face was pressed up against some grass, and I could see a tiny daisy-like flower about a foot away. Then I started when I heard a shout.

"What the Hell??"

A sneaker appeared in my line of vision. Levering myself off of the ground, I discovered the shoe belonged to a small girl. My brain instantly agreed with the sentiment. What the Hell was going on here?

The girl looked like a miniature Haruhi. Except . . . there was definitely something off about her. It wasn't just that she was younger than I had ever seen, she was just . . . different. There wasn't the same aura of barely repressed energy that Haruhi always exuded.

The girl tapped her foot. Well, she did have SOME of that aura, just not as strong.

"Well?" she demanded in classic Haruhi style, "What's your name?"

"Uhhhhhh . . . " had to think of something, "John Smith."

There. The same name I gave to Haruhi during that whole escapade with the chalk dispenser and the sports field.

The girl gave me the exact same answer. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

I responded the same way as last time. " . . . maybe."

In the meantime my brain was racing. Had Miss. Asahina sent me through time? But I thought that she said that they couldn't go back more than three years ago! And didn't she need all sorts of permission to do that? This girl was obviously younger than a 6th grader. What was going on??

And when would she have done that? After Haruhi tried to strangle me?

The girl stared down at me. Was it just me, or did she seem a little like my sister, too? Or are all little girls like that?

The girl folder her arms and glowered at me. I did the same back.

What sounded like an irritated male voice called from the house. "Kyoko, what're you doing outside? You have homework."

Kyoko? Not Haruhi? What the HELL was going on?!

"But Daaaaaaad . . ." the girl whined, "I already finished it!"

"Really? Did you have Mom check it?"

"Why can't you check it?"

"I told you," the man slid open the back door of the house, "your mother got better grades than me in school, so you should ask her." He looked up, and spotted me.

"EEEHHHHHHHH??" we chorused.

It was ME.

That was . . . me. Right?

It had to be me. There's no mistaking me. I mean, I'm me. I should know me.

Why do I keep using tautology??

I just kept staring back at myself in a state of shock. What else could I do? I'd seen Miss Asahina at two different ages, Koizumi become a little ball of red light, and Yuki defeat a fellow classmate, and get maimed beyond the point any normal human would survive.

But to see my older self? I had no idea how to react!

"Kyon, are you gonna stand in the doorway and gawk at whatever's in the yard, or are you going to get Kyoko to do her homework?? What the heck are you staring at, anyway?"

I knew that voice.

Very well.

Too well.

You have GOT to be shitting me.

There's no way I'd get married to her!

No way!

Not even a little possible!

IS IT??

-o-o-o-o-o-

BWAHAHAHAHA!

I think I'm still a little crazed after the Just Ludicrous works. Eheh!

But this time it's totally serious.

I don't plan to study their relationship too much, but I can't really tell. I'm typing this off the cuff.

FYI, I'm listening to episode 6 in the background as I type this. LUUURRRRV that eppi!


	3. Search Engine Found No Results

-o-

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Otherwise there'd be three seasons out, and many, many more manga, I promise you.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Search Engine Found No Results

-o-

Chapter 3

-o-o-o-o-o-

No way.

No.

No no nonononononononono.

No.

I can't believe this.

Never.

I can't.

It simply isn't possible.

The main problem with this image is that, the way Nagato, Asahina, and Kiozumi went on about her, I always thought that maybe she'd just . . . I don't know, EVOLVE, and then that would be that.

This just doesn't make any sense.

How could it?

How on earth could I ever get married to Haruhi?

Then she came bursting into the backyard, shoving my older self to the side, and froze. "What the . . ."

I sat, gaping.

You know how I said that she was gorgeous back on the first day of high school?

That pales in comparison. This Haruhi should have been a model, or something of the kind.

I had totally forgotten about that kid, Kyoko, until she started to poke my cheek. "Hey, John Smith, or what ever your name is, what's up? Why are you still in our yard? Are you some kind of burglar?"

I waved her hand away. "Hey, Stop That!"

"K- Kyon? What's going on?"

I looked back at Haruhi. Her eyes had gone huge, and she seemed in shock.

"I honestly have no idea." My older self answered. Then He-I walked over and grabbed my hand, pulling me to my feet.

Realization dawned on Haruhi's face. "Kyon, you never told me that you were a time-traveller!"

Both me and myself turned and gave her an exasperated stare. "I'm not." I chorused.

"Then why are there two of you?" she came up to me. "I mean, he looks like he's in high school! He's even wearing the uniform."

I scowled. "Will you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?"

My older self shrugged. "Well, it's not like you really should be here."

True.

But that didn't stop the fact that my brain felt that it was about to crack in half.

Apparently my brain couldn't deal with the stress. A splintering headache blossomed, and I suddenly felt dizzy. Grabbing my older-self's arm for support, I swayed, my other hand pressed to my forehead.

My eyes were closed from the pain, but I heard the concern in my elder-self's voice. "Hey, are you okay?"

I passed out.

Again.

-o-

Well, I certainly could do with a stop with all of the weirdness currently going on. I woke to find myself . . . who knows where.

It was bizarre. I was in a white space. Pure white. Not just a white floor, with white expanding all around me, the way many descriptions tell it.

This was just . . . white. A soft, stark white.

I couldn't say I was floating, but I definitely wasn't standing on anything.

It felt as though I was falling. But I couldn't tell. There was no air to cause a current. There were no landmarks with which to compare.

Maybe there was a lurking feeling of vertigo.

I don't know. But I could tell that the speed that I was falling at was rising. My hear began to flutter in fear, and I shut my eyes out of instinct.

And I saw the galaxy.

My eyes flew open, or so I think. The view did change. I still had the feeling of vertigo, and I still couldn't see the cause. The stars didn't change.

Out in space, there's no one to hear your scream.

Not usually.

-o-

I don't know what to label them.

Presences, I guess.

I don't really know.

When they arrived, I didn't know what had happened. I just felt a stop of the vertigo. And my heart relaxed.

I guess I would have to label them as Integrated Data Entities.

And right before my eyes, Nagato was constructed. It didn't appear anything like the CG images that show people appearing as little squares of data starting from the feet and loading up. She just kind of . . . faded into being.

"Greetings."

Ho Boy.

"Ah, Hi."

"I am Yuki Nagato, a humanoid interface constructed by the Integrated Data Entities to interact with humans like yourself."

"Yeah, you've told me that."

"I have?"

Didn't she remember?

"Yeah. Remember? You were the first to tell me. Then Mikuru told me she time travelled, and then Itsuki told me that he was an esper. I thought you knew that."

"This data has not yet be introduced to the database, and shall be stored for future reference."

What did she mean, she didn't know?

Of course she knew!

Why wouldn't she know?

Wait . . .

"Ah, Miss Nagato, what year is it on earth?"

"It is the year that Miss Haruhi Suzumiya first decided that she wished to meet with those beings known as Aliens, Espers, and Time Travellers.

So it's three years ago.

"Ah, if you were just created, by the Integrated Data Entities, then why can't I sense them?"

"This is exactly the reason for my existence. Normal humans are incapable of interacting with the Integrated Data Entities. Because of this, I was created to act as a monitor and a translator."

"Right. Ah, I really wish I could complain directly to whoever's at the top."

"Then I believe that you would have to take the matter up with Miss Haruhi Suzumiya."

Great. Chief of the Universe is the one person who doesn't take me seriously.

"Fine. How do I get to her?"

"I shall make the necessary arraignments."

And once again, it felt as though I was blacking out.

It was getting a little old now.

-o-o-o-o-o-

I think I've found the mission of Kyon's.

But of course I shan't tell you!

Don't worry. I shall be updating fairly frequently.

Hahaha!


	4. Can't Undo

-o-

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Otherwise there'd be three seasons out, and many, many more manga, I promise you.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Can't Undo

-o-

Chapter 4

-o-o-o-o-o-

While I do appreciate the fact that my life is much more interesting, what with all the weirdness spiralling around Haruhi, sometimes I wish there were more of those boring, normal days.

I'm especially pining for one right now.

This very second sounds good.

Of course, since when has the Power That Is ever felt sympathy towards me?

She'd much rather have the world blown up by evil aliens for the sake of an intergalactic highway. Perhaps again with only her and myself the only surviving humans.

But then again, I'm counting my lucky stars that she doesn't seem to have to read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Why am I thinking this right now? Why do I have the time to think such thoughts?

Well, because apparently Miss Nagato's "arrangements" are taking a while. In the meantime, I think I'm in a suspended state.

Not that I would know. After all, do I really have the capacity to understand the Integrated Data Entities?

I feel as though I don't really have any call in any of this.

And if I did, what would happen?

Probably, the World would end.

That's always the threat, at least.

But what would really happen if I let it do just that? What if I didn't do anything? What if I didn't even exist?

Maybe I should ask Nagato, Koizumi, and Asahina. They keep saying that I'm either a key, or something.

Wait, didn't they say something about that in that stupid movie that Haruhi made me edit?

What was that . . .

Something about choosing sides . . .

There was that slip of Itsuki's . . . something about choosing sides, and about not having enough data.

Could . . . could they possibly have been talking about . . . ME?

I'm just being paranoid. There's no way that there're three powers fighting over me. Impossible.

I'm just an average, every-day, stock High School student. No way.

I think I'm asleep.

I feel relaxed. No form of obligations.

I'd like for this to be forever.

Of course, Forever never seems to last very long, especially if Haruhi is somehow involved.

-o-

I'm waking up, I think.

-o-

Sitting up, I found myself in front the small table in Nagato's apartment. Across from me, Nagato simply gazes blankly at me, just like she did that time I went three years into the past, and then had to ask for her help to get back.

"Ahhhhh . . ."

She doesn't respond.

"How . . . what did you do?"

"I put you into a deep meditative state, making it easier to transport you to Earth. If I had not, you would have suffered severe damage to your data, possibly resulting in missing irreplaceable chunks."

"Ah, right. Sooo . . . what time is it?"

"The time it took to transport you from your original location was recorded at less than a millionth of a second."

"So, it's still the same year that Haruhi wished for Aliens, Espers, and Time Travellers."

"Yes."

"And you're just going to sit in standby mode until three years from now?"

"Yes."

"Umm, about how much time is there until Mikuru and I turn up?"

". . ."

The apartment's intercom made a fizzing noise. Yuki looked over at it, not even blinking, then pressed the receive button.

"Is this Nagato-san's residence?"

That was my voice coming through that. Which meant that it was when Miss Asahina and I came to ask Nagato for help.

WHICH MEANS I REALLY, REALLY NEEDED TO GET OUT OF HERE.

Who knows what kinds of insanity might happen if I see another of myself.

Yuki stayed silent as she watched the screen displaying myself and Mikuru down in the lobby.

Through the intercom, my voice sighed. "Ah . . . Where should I start? I'm an acquaintance of Suzumiya Haruhi."

Nagato blinked, and pressed the accept button, which I knew opened a door to an elevator which would carry Miss Asahina and myself up to her apartment.

I had to get out.

"Ah, yeah, Miss Nagato? I really should leave. Before I totally screw up the timeline."

"That would be advisable."

"Yeah, so I'll be going now." I rushed to the door, then had a thought. "By the way, my name's Kyon."

"The data is assimilated into the Shared Time Server."

I darted out of the door as fast as humanly possible. Standing just outside it, I started to run down the hall. Maybe there was a stairwell that I could hide in. In front of me, the elevator 'Ding'ed.

Crap.

There was a storage closet to my right. I dove for it, just managing to shut the door before the elevator opened. I could hear Miss Asahina's and my footsteps.

Now I know why she was so jumpy.

I only emerged when I heard the door of Nagato's apartment close with a final 'click.'

-o-

'What's this I have in my pocket?'

Yes, I know it's a very famous line. However, it's exactly what went through my brain when I put my hands in my pockets, after evacuating from Nagato's apartment building.

I was pondering what to do next. It's not like I could go home. Then I'd run into my 3-year-younger self.

How insane is it to have three of yourself running around at the same time?

So when I first made my escape, I headed towards the train station where the SOS Brigade always met. Will meet.

It turned out to be a train ticket to a station three towns over.

Well, the only way I would have that is if Nagato or the Entities wanted me to go there. Fine. Not like I have anything better to do. And avoiding Haruhi might be an added bonus.

So why not?

I boarded the train.

-o-

The ride itself lasted about half an hour. Being the last train for the night, I guess that I would have to get home under my own power.

I don't really want to know what time it was when I got off. All I know is that as I meandered out of the station, I found myself in a park.

Shrugging, I set off along one of the paths. Maybe I'd find the reason for my being there.

Well, at least I didn't have to wait long.

I just decided to head towards the scream.

-o-

What I found was a middle-school kid stumbling around in the dark, one hand to his forehead, the others grasping at trees to lean against.

In my gut, I already knew what I was witnessing.

"Hey! Itsuki Kiozumi!"

The kid started, and stared at me, eyes wide with shock, horror, pain, and just about any other emotion I could label to anyone who thinks their head's suddenly gone severely wrong.

Definitely a change from the cool, almost insultingly unemotional Koizumi I knew.

"How . . . do you know me?" he asked, then passed out.

Well, damn.

I walked over to him, and carried him over to a bench under an operational lamp. Laying him down, I collapsed on the other end, groaning.

This was getting ridiculous. What am I, a Welcoming Committee?

Next to me, Koizumi moaned slightly, and his eyelids opened. Then he shot upright, and stared at me.

I stared coolly back. I had no idea how kid-Koizumi would act, and I didn't really want to know.

"Who . . . are you?"

I groaned. This again? "I'm Kyon."

The kid nodded, processing the information. "And how do you know my name?"

"Uhhhh . . ." Think of something, damn it! "I'm from the newly created Esper Agency."

WHY THE HELL DID I SAY THAT??

The kid smiled vaguely. Damn, he was like that back then-now? "Esper? I find that a little difficult to believe."

I sighed. "Well, you're now an Esper, so I was sent to find you."

The kid's face didn't change much. "Really? And how would you know that?"

"Well, you now have newly acquired powers. Ones that allow you to find-" How had Itsuki described it to me?- "Closed spaces that grow in between the dimensional layers of our world."

The odd smile stayed on Itsuki's face as he stated, quite calmly, "and I thought my own head had gone weird."

Gee, Thanks. I'm trying to tell you your life's mission, and you're identifying me as a lunatic. Thanks a lot.

Now what was it that the Espers believe?

"We believe that these are created by a single entity, one with enough power to re-create the world at whim. With that power, we think that she has done just that, with the wish that creatures like Espers, Time Travellers and Aliens existed."

Itsuki cocked his head a little to the side. "And you're saying what I'm experiencing is because of God's whim?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Have you met this God?"

I sat back. Well, according to the Esper's beliefs, I had.

"Yeah, I have. At the moment, she's a middle school student."

Itsuki blinked. "So, you're telling me that God's a little girl?"

Well, when you put it like that . . . . ". . . yeah."

"And what am I supposed to do about these 'closed spaces'?"

"Well, mainly thei-" Oops "-Our job is to enter these closed spaces. They are created whenever the god is emotionally unstable or unbalanced. Beings appear in these spaces, and begin wreaking havoc, expanding the closed spaces. They have to be negated or else the closed space will take over the world, and the world will be re-created."

Itsuki sat, running his index finger down the length of his nose, apparently thinking. "You appear to have quite a lot of information about the matter."

Crap.

"You wouldn't happen to be a Time Traveller yourself, would you?"

"Uh, no."

Then again, what am I doing right now?

"But I have time travelled."

"Hm."

That reminds me, I've yet to be Miss Asahina's welcoming committee.

"You will be contacted by other members of the Esper Agency soon. They will inform you of your specific duties. Okay?"

Koizumi blinked.

"So I would suggest that you go home, and get some rest." I wished I could," I was just sent to assure you that you are not going insane."

"Right." I stood, brushing off my uniform's pants. They were starting to look a little rumpled. "I have to leave, to deal with another alert. I guess I'll see you later, then?"

Little-Itsuki nodded.

I took three steps forward, and collapsed, sinking into darkness.

The one thought that passed through my mind as this happened was 'Not again!'

-o-o-o-o-o-

So it turns out that Kyon's pretty darned busy.

I soooooo don't envy him in some ways. Trying to convince Itsuki of exactly what Itsuke tried to convince Kyon of? Not fun, and probably twice as hard.

As you can imagine, Mikuru's up next.

And do I have plans for that!

PLEASE REVIEW! I LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!


	5. System Shut Down Without Warning: Reboot

-o-

I do not own the series of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Otherwise there'd be three seasons out, and many, many more manga, I promise you.

-o-o-o-o-o-

System Shut Down Without Warning: Reboot?

-o-

Chapter 5

-o-o-o-o-o-

I woke to another person shouting. I jumped up, thinking there was some kind of emergency.

Why is it I hardly ever know where I am?

The room was a beige painted square, furnished to look like a western style living room, I think. Standing in front of a couch, and across the room was a little old woman shouting.

Shouting, and staring at me. When she finished, she stood there, trembling with . . . well, it kind of looked like excitement. "Who are you?? Some kind of burglar? Come on, out with it!"

I was about to speak when there was a squeak from the doorway to my right. Turning, I saw a flash of orange coloured hair.

I gaped. "Miss Asahina?!"

She emerged from behind the doorframe, trembling. "Wh-who-"

"I know you!" the old woman declared suddenly. "You're that burglar guy that was in my backyard randomly when I was really young, and you fainted and vanished in front of me and my parents!"

WHAT??

"Ahhh . . ." I stared at her, totally confused.

"You said your name was John Smith!"

It was starting to dawn on me . . .

"Are you . . . Kyoko?"

The woman smiled triumphantly. "So you are him. Been running around with the new TPDD, right? I guess that means that you really ARE a time traveller, just like my mum thought!"

"Ahh, um." Mikuru was still half behind the doorframe, now looking beseechingly at the old woman. "Nana, what are you t-talking about?"

Nana? That's a nickname used for grandparents, or other relatives that are considered old.

"Mikuru? Come over here. There's someone you really should meet!"

Miss Asahina skirted into the room, staying as far away from me as possible. When she reached Kyoko, she stood slightly behind her, staring at me warily. "Wh-what is it, Nana?"

"Well, after this guy just up and disappeared right in front of my parents and my eyes, my mum went on this whole rant about how my father should have told her that he was a time traveller. The reason for this is because this guy right here is my father, back when he was in middle school."

"You mean, Great-Granddad Kyon?"

My brain froze.

-o-

-o-

-o-

MIKURU'S GREAT GRANDFATHER?? I am Mikuru Asahina's great Grandfather?!

My knees gave out from under me, and I crashed to the floor, holding myself up only with my arms.

So that's what older Miss Asahina meant, when she said that I shouldn't get too close to Mikuru.

A sob escaped me, caught somewhere between a laugh. Well, that was that. Miss Asahina was now Officially off-limits. Now that I knew this, there was a whole category of things that I now thought back to with mild disgust.

My head was bowed, though I wasn't really looking at the carpeting in under me. It just wasn't fair.

"K-Kyon?" I looked up to see Mikuru sweet- Gah! NO! "Um, are you okay?"

"Ahhh . . . not really. You see, it's not everyday someone gets to meet their descendants."

All of a sudden, my mind jumped to that computer folder full of photos of Mikuru, and I could feel the blood drain from my face. There had to be rules against this. GAH!

"Ah, would you like some tea?"

I barely heard, but responded automatically with a "Yes, thank you."

She ran off.

Kyoko gave a cackle. "I know what's wrong with you! You liked Mikuru, didn't you?"

"Eh?"

"I managed to get access to that School Festival play that you helped put together. That was you narrating throughout the entire thing, right?"

"Uhhhhh . . ."

"I seem to remember quite a bit of jealousy throughout that."

I stayed silent.

"For instance, that time that Itsuki brought her to his house, and you narrated, rather heatedly as I recall," here she cleared her throat and recited perfectly, to my horror, "And I think we're in Itsuki's house. What bothers me, though, is that Mikuru, who's been carried here by Itsuki, looks as though she's just gotten out of the bath! Maybe we're supposed to think that she was given a bath by Itsuki while she was unconscious?! You gotta be Kidding me!! then, this would be the point where anyone's doubt turns into a white-hot Rage, Building to a desire to KILL. But for now I will not give it much thought, doing away with all of the emotions that might be bubbling up. We are, after all, just watching a movie, with actors playing characters. This isn't reality, right?-" By now my face must have been bright red, it certainly felt that way- "Ah, O-okay, how is this happening right now? If your mouth gets Any closer to her, someone standing off camera is going to step in frame and KICK YOU ASS, DAMN IT!"

Right, well, nice to know that my future daughter can humiliate me thoroughly.

"Oh, and by the way, they WERE talking about you."

"Eh? a-Oh. WAIT, but that means that I actually have some kind of choice to make? What is it? What did they mean by hidden powe-"

"Drop it!"

"Eh?"

Mikuru came back into the room, carrying cups of tea. "Here."

I took the offered cup, and sipped deeply. Man did I need something as familiar as Miss Asahina's tea.

"Ah, so, you're actually from the past?"

"That's right. The time I'm from is the same as Har-"

"HUSh, boy!"

"Eh?"

"That's classified."

Not THAT again. Everything seems classified in the future. I groaned. "Miss Asahina, have you ever thought of time travel?"

"Eh? N-not really. I don't really like th-the idea of not being where I'm used to."

Ah. Do I have to convince her to time travel?

"Miss Asahina, just how much of history do you know?"

"ahhh, right now we're studying the very early 21st century. They say that there was a rift in time, and that it's impossible to go past a certain point."

"Is that so? Aren't you curious about why there's that rift?"

"W-well, I'm curious, I guess, b-but the only people allowed to go back in time are Time Travellers! And I don't think I'd make a very good one . . ."

"Ah-No! I think you'd make a fine time traveller!"

"R-really?"

I smiled. "Sure!"

"I-is it nice in the past?"

I shrugged. "well, I'm from the past."

"Oh! R-right. W-wait! How did you know my name, Great Grandfather Kyon??"

That's just too weird.

I turned to Kyoko. "Ah, is the answer classified, or can I tell her?"

Kyoko laughed. "Are you kidding? No one even knows that you're here! Go ahead!"

"but earlier you-"

"Just answer her already!"

Groan. Just like her mother.

DID I SERIOUSLY JUST THINK THAT?!

"Anyway, yeah, Miss Asahina, you become a time traveller yourself, and travel back in time to monitor certain phenomena that occur in the early 21st century. That's the time that I'm from. In fact, you enrol in my high school."

"R-really? Wow, that's amazing!"

Yeah. It sure sounds that way when I leave out all the details.

"Yeah! You join the SOS Brigade, and we hang out with Miss Nagato and Koizumi, and Miss Suzumiya."

"wow, it must be nice. I mean, it sounds really pleasant!"

"Yeah, sometimes, it kinda is."

"Kyon!"

Eh? that wasn't Mikuru or Kyoko. In fact, it sounded like-

"Kyon! Please! Wake up!"

Yeah, definitely her. But why-

"I'm so sorry! Please, please wake up!"

that almost sounded . . . tearful?

My eyesight started to go odd, as though my eyes were focusing on a completely different dimension. Darkness swamped my vision, and all of a sudden, my neck started to ache.

Then, again, (I was getting pretty used to this) I passed out. Hopefully for the last time

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kyon. I really am sorry. I don't know what happened, but I swear, if you never . . . never . . ." the half apology was interrupted by a kind of choked silence. I didn't know that Haruhi could get that way.

Opening my eyes was harder than any of the other times. It was tough to breath, too, with my neck all sore.

"Ah, his eyelids fluttered. It appears that he's waking up."

"R-really?" Haruhi's voice sounded hopeful. Well, it's nice to know she cares.

"Indeed, his data streams have stabilized. It appears that he will be fine."

"Ah, ah, I'm glad that he's getting better."

"the-then I didn't hurt him?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that . . ." damn that Koizumi.

"Kyon? Kyon, are you waking up? Hey! Wake up!" I felt the bed shift a little as Haruhi put her weight on the mattress.

Wait, mattress? That means I was on a bed . . . I guess that means that after Haruhi tried to strangle me, they put me on a bed. Make sense.

I was going to groan in response, but instead I started coughing violently. I automatically sat up, hunched over with pain. I think Mikuru, or maybe Yuki was the one to hand me the glass of water. This I gulped down and then just slouched with my eyes closed and breathed. I heard a rustling behind me, then Haruhi's voice saying "Here, lean back."

I followed her instructions, leaning back to find that she had arraigned the pillows to help me sit up.

I half-lay like that, breathing slowly. Someone was stroking my hair, I think. I didn't open my eyes, considering I didn't really want to know who. If it was Mikuru, how would I deal with that? Knowing what I do now?

I tried to clear my throat, then asked, "What happened?"

"after the assault, your data streams became erratic. The Integrated Data Entities inform me that you traversed several time and space planes over the stretch of time you were unconscious."

"So all that really happened?"

"If you mean whether you were present for the initial appearance of each of us then yes."

Geeze.

"What are you talking about? Whatever. Anyway, I'm glad you're back, Kyon!"

"What, really?"

"Of course! How else are we gonna get anything done? You're chore boy, aren't you?"

Whoever was stroking my hair caught a couple hairs as they pulled their hand away to slap the same hand on my shoulder. Gee, thanks a lot, Haruhi.

Then again, maybe this was a cover up for that bit right before I woke up.

I don't know.

I'll just put it under my list of other strange occurrences.

-o-

Oh how I really wish I hadn't.

After I left the Nurses office, I decided to go straight home. I mean, considering? Give me a break.

But what really bothers me is that choice. What choice have I had in any of this?

What will the choice be?

What will I have to choose between?

And most predominant in my mind; Do I really have locked-up powers?

-o-o-o-o-o-

well, I really think I'll leave it at this.

In the meantime, I would really like to thank all of those people who have bothered to read to the end. It means a lot to me, and I hope that you will be kind enough to leave a review.

If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to go and check out any of the other stories in my gallery.

Thank you very much!

P.S. I might write a sequel to this. Can't guarantee anything, but I'm entertaining the idea, considering that I did kind of leave off with a cliffie.

The same cliffie the anime left off with, I grant you.

But a cliffie nonetheless.


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